Shelly 
Stuck at home, Indians are snacking their way out of boredom—more than ever before and well above global levels.
Nine out of 10 adults are snacking more or the same as before the pandemic, according to a global survey by Mondelēz International and The Harris Poll. Of them, 66% were snacking more, which is a 20% jump from the global average, while 22% said they snacked the same.
Indian millennials said they prefer snacks to meals, according to the online survey conducted by The Harris Poll from 6-20 October among 6,292 adults around the world. The research spanned 12 markets—508 respondents were from India.
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The survey released on Thursday tells the story of a changing pattern of eating.
At the peak of the lockdown, Indians took to cooking elaborate meals and baking cakes and desserts as out-of-home food remained out of bounds. They also snacked more at home.
With the opening up of markets, more and more people have taken to buying snacks.
“We’ve seen that interesting kind of new ritual emerge at home as people are using snacks as a pivot to take a break,” said Anil Viswanathan, senior director, marketing (chocolates), Mondelez India.
Indians are snacking to boost moods, seek comfort and relieve boredom, the survey said. The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown upended sales of packaged consumer goods. Overall, sales of snacks and beverages were down 6.9% year-on-year during the September quarter after dipping over 25% in the June quarter, market researcher Nielsen said in a November report on the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
This was largely on account of people cutting down on out-of-home consumption of beverages, ice-creams, chocolates and snacks. For chocolates and biscuits, out-of-home consumption rests at 60% of category sales.
Snacking and beverages account for 30% of FMCG sales in India, according to Nielsen. Snacks—biscuits, tea, coffee, salty snacks, chocolate, noodles, and confectionary—make up the largest category within the FMCG industry.
In parallel with snacking, there’s been a significant shift toward healthier and immunity-building foods and beverages such as honey, dried nuts and teas.
The report noted that 3 in 4 Indian adults said they relied on snacks for nourishment during the pandemic. A majority are snacking more mindfully at home: 80% said they have more control over portions.
“There is this balance between nourishment and indulgence,” Viswanathan said.
“They are picking up snacks to nourish, food that does something for the body, and also something for them emotionally—both are playing a role. This is again linked to our strategy of enabling people with more choices in the way they want to consume snacks.”
Shoppers in India also said the lockdown prompted them to buy and discover more branded snacks online, a trend that is likely to take root going forward.
Over 70% of those surveyed said they have started to buy snacks online more often than they do in-store or offline, with 8 in 10 planning to continue shopping for snacks online once the pandemic is over.
With normalcy returning to life outside the home, consumers expect this snacking trend to continue.
More than 80% of those surveyed said they plan to continue eating small snacks through the day as they view this as the “new normal” as opposed to fewer large meals.
Viswanathan said the firm will “wait and watch” how many of these trends stick around once the pandemic is over.
“A lot of it will evolve. The broader theme around restricted living is bringing some of these behavioural changes. We feel when restricted living goes away, people may go back to doing a few things out of home,” he said.
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